Power-actuated hoeing equipment



Feb. 16, 1954 y J. D', SAUBER 2,669,170

POWER-ACTUATED HOEING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 9, 1950 '7 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

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A rroR/V y Feb. 16, 1954 J. D. SAUDER POWER-ACTUATED, HOEING EQUIPMENT 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1950 OU R. W) Y mw m m m MQW M v j@ ,fw w (0 Feb. 16, 1954 J. D SAUBER 2,669,170

POWER-ACTUATED HOEING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 9, 1950 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 ja/gw (9 csa/mkv) ATTORNEY Feb. 16, 1954 J. D; SAUDI-:R

POWER-ACTUATED HOEING EQUIPMENT '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 9, 1950 INVENToR. gaf/vv (9, Gsm/042W e BY j Feb. 16, 1954 J, D, SAUBER 2,669,170

POWER-ACTUATED HOEING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 9, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 B* di L INVENTOR Feb. 16, 1954' J. D. sAUDER 2,669,170

POWER-ACTUATED HOEING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 9, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOK Las] BY @i Feb. 16, 1954 J. D. sAUDER 2,669,170

PowER-AcTuATED HOEING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 9, 1950 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR BY y a f.

ATTO NEY Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES EATENT OFFICE POWER-ACTUATED HO-EINGy EQUIPMENT John D. Sauder, Oyster Point, Pa.

Application January 9, 1950i, Serial No. 137,532

12 Claims. (Cl. 97-46.33)

My invention relates broadly to agricultural equipment, and more particularly to a power driven hoeing device for facilitating cultivating operations.

Cne of the objects of my invention is to provide a construction of power driven hoeing device in which the plants in a crop row may be eiciently cultivated by means of a tractor driven implement, thereby decreasing labor costs in the essential cultivation of crops.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power driven ho'eing device which may be readily mounted on a tractor and controlled by the operator of the tractor for cultivating individual plants in a crop row as the tractor advances along 'the crop row.

' Still another object of my invention is to provide a construction of power driven hoeing device for operation by a tractor, in which the tractor operator has direct control of the movement of a plurality of hoes with respect to the plants of a crop row along which the tractor advances for cultivating the plants in a manner which completely protects the individual plants.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a construction of mechanism for attachment to a tractor for imparting movement to a multiplicity of hoeing devices at selected intervals controlled by the operator of the tractor for cultivating the plants in a crop row.

Other and further objects of my invention 'reside in a compact and simplied mechanism for attachment to tractors for operating a multiplicity of hoes, as seiJ forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the power driven hoeing device of my invention, showing the hoeing 'device mounted on a tractor; Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the driving unit for the hoeing device; Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the driving unit shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 3A is a front elevational view of the bearing in which the operating sector shown in Fig. 2 is mounted; Fig. 3B is a side elevational View of the bear-ing as shown in Fig. 3A; Fig. 4 is a rear elevational View of the spreader mechanism for the hoeing arms, and illustrating the manual control thereof; Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryside elevation'al view of the spreader 'mechanism illus- Vtrated in Fig.l 4; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan 'View showing the hoe'ing arms in 'closed position 'for `effecting a cultivating operation ral'ong `.a crop row, land between 'individualplants in vthe row; '7 is a View 'similar to the lview L-illustrated 5in Fig. 6 but showing the hoeing arms moved to spread position for cultivating around an individual plant in a crop row; Fig. 8 is a plan View of a tractor with the hoeing devices of my invention installed thereon and illustrating the arrangement of the hoeing devices with respect to, the. frame of the tractor; Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 9--9 of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is a rear elevational view of thev tractor showing the arrangement of the hoeing units and the actuating mechanism associated therewith; Fig. l1 is a front view ofthe tractor with the hoeing units mounted thereon and showing the position of the hoeing units as the tractor advances along the crop row; and Fig. l2 is a fragmentary view showing the manner of driving the sector from the driving belt of the tractor.

My invention is directed to a construction of power driven hoeing device which may be readily mounted on a tractor and operated from power delivered by the. tractor for selectively cultivating individual plants of a crop row as the tractor advances along the crop row. My invention provides for controlled movement of a plurality of hoes as the tractor advances along the crop row, whereby the hoes may be moved to a position immediately around the plant or spread to a position remote from the plant for cultivating between the plants in the crop row and cultivating immediately around the plant without injury to the plant, as the tractor advances along the crop row. The mechanism of v 'my invention 'provides for a positive spreading of the hoeing devices by power delivered by the tractor, and the restoration of the hoeing devices `under spring control after the hoes pass around the individual plant. The spring mechanism restores the hoeing devices to normal position under selective control of the same manual means which vis employed for eiiecting the operation of the positive spreading mechanism for the hoeing devices. Thus, movements of the hoeing devices may be obtained automatically which simulate a manual hoeing operation, with the saving in labor costs by reason of the more :rapid and thorough cultivation which may be :effected in a crop row.

Reiterring to the vdrawings in more detail, referenee .character l indicates the power take-off pulley or 'V-bel't wheel or" the tractor T, which is continuously driven, and with respect to the periphery of which the sector 2 of the control mechanism of my invention, illustrated `more :clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and lio, is presented for im- 3 parting movement to the hoeing devices. The main power shaft of the tractor T is represented at as shown in Fig. 12, driving pulley 43 which has a V-groove in its periphery for receiving and driving the drive belt 44 which drives the power take off pulley I. The sector 2 is frictionally engaged .at its periphery by belt 44 moving in the V- groove of power take off pulley I. An auxiliary manually controlled hand lever 3 is mounted on the tractor adjacent the operators seat, and which is movable from position 3 to position 3A or 3B illustrated in Fig. 2 for effecting a spread-` ing or a retracting of the hoeing devices. Reference character 4 designates a shaft to which the hand lever 3 is fixed and which is moved as hand lever 3 is moved. The shaft 4 is connected to bar 5 through stub shaft 4A. Bar 5 is fixed to bar 9 pivotally mounted at 6 on the frame F attached to the tractor through suitable means such as G. Movement of hand lever 3 to dotted line position 3A results in the movement of bars 5 and 6 to dotted line position 5A and 6A in Fig. 2. Bar 6 carries the sector shaft bearing 6B shown more clearly in Figs. 3A and 3B, the sector shaft bearing being welded to bar 6. Movement of bar E5 to position 6A lifts the sector shaft bearing 6B to dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. The sector 2 is carried by' shaft 'IA which is journalled in sector shaft bearing 6B, and, when the sector shaft bearing 6B is lifted to dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 2, the periphery of the sector 2 establishes Contact with the periphery lof the continuously rotating power take off pulley I, whereby counter-clockwise movement is imparted to sector 2 so that sector 2 is positively driven to the dotted line position 2A in Fig. 2, Shaft 'IA imparts movement to shaft 1 through universal joint I4, shown more particularly in Figs. l and 3.

Bar I'I, shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, is secured to shaft 1, and as shaft I is angularly moved in a counterclockwise direction, bar I'I is turned to the dotted line position I1', as shown in Fig. Il, imparting movement through curved links i9 to the spreader arms I9. This operation I throws the spreader arms I9, which are pivotally mounted at I9a and I9b to forward frame F of the tractor, to the dotted line positions I9' and I9, as shown in Fig. 4. In order to initially set the position of the spreader arms I9, I provide a spacing quadrant I5, associated with bar I'I and links I9 and depending frame member 39. By adjusting one section of the quadrant I5 to the right or to the left, the spreader arms I9 may be brought closer or moved further apart, to properly position the spreader arms I9 for operation of the hoeing devices on large or small plants in the crop row. Bv orientation of the spacing quadrant I5 and the selective fixing thereof by means of adiustable bolt member I5A operating inarcuate slot ISB, the spreader arms I 9 may be selectively set in proper spacial relation. The spacing quadrant does not change the amount of movement of the spreader arms I9, but does control the initial setting from which the spreading operation is commenced, and to which position the spreader arms I9 are restored at each operation of the hand lever 3. The spacing quadrant substantially spreads the shaft I from an operating stub shaft I5C which connects through the universal joint I6 with the bar I 1.

The spreader arms I9 carry rollers 29 on the ends thereof which move to positions 29 and 29 shown in Fig. 4, as the spreader arms I9 are moved apart. These rollers 2G Contact vertical 'plates 2IA which are secured to hoeing arms 2I of the hoeing device. The hoeing arms 2l are supported in swivel mountings 2 IB which are supported on cross-shaft D mounted between beams C carried by the tractor frame. The beams C have lugs E thereon, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1, from which swivelly mounted screws 22 depend and pass through lugs 23 on the hoeing arms 2| for permitting the hoeing arms to be adjusted in vertical position about cross-shaft D as a center, while not interfering with the transverse spread of the hoeing arms in the course of the movement of the hoeing arms transversely of the crop row. This is accomplished by providing socketlilie heads on the depending screws 22 and universal movable lugs 2S on beams 2 I, so that hoeing arms 2! are free to separate and are conned only with respect to the level in which the arms operate beneath the longitudinally extending beams C.

The master manually actuated lifting device 24 is mounted on the frame of the tractor, as represented more particularly in Figs. l, 9 and 11, and serves to raise and lower the hoeing arms 2I when it is desired to bodily lift the hoeing devices represented at I2 from the ground, or adjust the hoeing devices I2 with respect to the depth of cultivation. The manually actuated lifting device 24 is operated to elevate hoeing devices I2 from the ground when cultivation directly in the crop row may not be desirable, and cultivation restricted to opposite sides of the crop row by means of hoeing devices represented at 25, mounted on outwardly extending beams 26, carried by beam C.

The manual actuated lifting device 24 consists of a lever 2'I secured to cross-shaft 28, mounted in bearing plates 29. The shaft 28 is attached to levers 39, which connect through links v3| fastened to one side of the substantially trapezoidally shaped adjusting frame 32. The substantially trapezoidally shaped adjusting frame 32 is pivotally supported with respect to transverse frame bar 33, carried by the frame of the tractor. Substantially trapezoidally shaped frame 32 has depending arms 34 thereon, which carry laterally extending lugs A thereon, which establish connection with arms B leading to the cultivator beam C. Thus, beam C may be raised or lowered about cross-shaft D as a center, and maintained in adjustable position by engagement of detent 35 in the sector 35 of the manually actuated lifting device 24. The ends of the beam C, and the outwardly extending ends 26 thereof, are free to move vertically without obstruction with respect to the frame of the tractor in effecting a lifting operation. The hoeing arms 2I are maintained under spring tension by means of coil spring 2 IC, which tend to draw hoeing arms 2| against rollers 2) of spreader arms I9, with the vertically extending plates 2IA in contact with rollers 29. By reason of the continuous spring tension exerted by coil spring 2 IC between hoeing arms 2I, the hoeing devices I2 follow the movements of spreader arms I9 to a contracted or a projected position in accordance with the position of spreader arms I9 under control of hand lever 3.

The operation of sector 2 under control of power take off pulley I has heretofore been alluded to somewhat briey. Referring again to Figs. 2 and 3, it Will be observed that frame F also supports a journalling means 31 for a pawl 9 which carries a-bar 8 thereon. Bar 8 extends in a plane offset from the substantially parallel plane of sector 2, and projects in the path of the adjustable stop 2D carried by `the inwardly extending lug 2E on sector 2. The adjustable stop V2Dmalres contact with the bar t* at one limit of 4xl'otatiorr'of sector 2n., as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The frame- .F also provi-des a pivotal mounting for a bar lil, pivotally mounted at 6' coaxially with the pivotal mounting of bar 6 heretially the juncture of the curved portion of the lbar and the. linear portion thereof.V Idetent extends downwardly and forms an abutment 4against which the end vof pawl e is adapted to engage in the full line position illustrated Fig. 2, .prior to the imparting of movement to .sector 2. The bars 5, and Iii are so ypositioned that they Aenclose i-n their normal position, illustrated in Fig. 2in outline, the substantially trapezoidally shaped figure which is under continuous spring tension by means of coil spring 38 connected between a point on frame F and the bar v8, tending 'to urge pawl 9 into latched abutment with detent -I 8A., as shown in full lines in Eig. 2.

Referring again to the sector 2, rit will be observed that the hub of sectorl 2 is provided with a clutch lug 2B extending therefrom. Clutch .lug 2B normally clears the depending end of the detent IOA .in the full line position of the part shown in Fig. 2. However, when shaft 'I carrying the sector shaft bea-ring 6B is raised by movement of hand lever 3 to position 3A, bars 5 and 6 move to the positions illustrated by dotted lines 5A and 6A, thereby raising vthe hub of the sector and the clutch lug 2B to a position engaging the depending end of the .detent IDA, which drops to the dotted line position with bar IOB and with the pawl 9 moved to position 9A by abutment of adjustable stop 2D with bar 8. When the hand lever 3 is moved to position 3B, the low point of detent .I DA is maintained in the path of clutch lug '2B on the hub of the sector, thus holding the sector 2 and all the associated controlling elements, including the hoeing arms 2l and hoes l2., in position for safely passing'r an individual plant. The moment the hoes are clear of the plant the operator shifts the lever from position 3B to 3, which returns bars 5, t and I!) to their original positions and disengages clutch lug 2B from detent UIA, thus allowing coil torsional coil spring II, shown more clearly in Fig. 3, to return sector 2 to its original position, which drives all the parts controlling the hoeing arms and the hoes to their original orclosed position. 'This completes a full cycle of the hoeing operation..

The operator of the tractor having full view of the plants in the crop row as the tractor advances along the crop row, is able to impart power to the hoeing devices I2 at the proper moment to control the movement of hoeing arms 2l and the hoeing devices I2 carried thereby, as represented in Fig. 6, for properly treating the individual plants which I represent at I3 in the crop row. It will be observed that the hoeing device arms 2| are substantially linear and parallel throughout a portion of their length from the swivel connections ZIB thereof with cross shaft D. However, throughout the balance of the length of the hoeing arms the hoeing arms are widened step by step with respect to each other, as represented at zone 2 ID, 2 IE and 2 IF, so that the hoeing 'devices I2 are disposed n echelon for 6 properly pulverizingthe soil around the individual plants.

Tractor T is kof a conventional type having rear wheels III) and .front wheels 4I carried by the chassis, which is arranged to support the three sections of the frame of the attachment, which I .have represented at F, F' and F. The parts fare assembled in such manner that the spreading and returning movement of the hoeing devices .is 4carried out with precision and, as heretofore observed, the initial spacing of the hoeing devices on opposite sides of the crop row may be selectively set for plants of varying growths and sizes, at the different seasons of the year.

I have selected a sector as part of the driving mechanism in the structure of my invention, as `the spreading operation of the longitudinally extending beams can be most effectively carried out .byf'such arrangement. Thatis to say, positive application off the driving .force from V-belt wheel 'I is effective only during a limited period determined by the periphery of the sector 2, but extends over a sufjcient time period to effect a spreading operation of the beams which are then restored to retracted position preparatory for the next control of the spreading operation.

Throughout the specification and claims I have referred to V-belt wheel I merely for the purpose of making it clear that sector 2 is driven by wheel .I as shown in Fig. 12 through vfrictional contact with belt 44. It should be understood, however, that wheel I may be the conventional pulley driven by a tractor. In this instance the sector 2 is merely pressed against the-face of 'the v-.belt in securing the driving force for the spreader mechanism of my invention.

I have found the power driven hoeing equipment ofJ my invention highly practical and successful in operation, and while I have described my invention in one of its preferred embodiments, I desire that t be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than .may be imposed by the scope of the appended-claims.

What I claim 4as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A power driven hoeing device comprising a frame structure, a power driving shaft having a VI-belt wheel thereon journalled in said frame structure and engaged and driven by a belt, a sector having angular sweep motion journalled in said frame structurey in substantially coplanar .relation to said V-belt wheel and operative to establish driven relation with the belt in said 4V- belt Wheel, Ia pair of vertically pivoted beams carried by said frame structure, hoeing devices supported by said beams., means for shifting said sector into driving relation to the belt of said V- .belt wheel, and means driven by said sector for imparting transverse displacement to said beams in proportion to the angular sweep of said sector.

2. A power driven hoeing apparatus comprising a frame structure, a rotatable V-belt wheel j-ournalled in said frame structure and engaged `:and driven by a belt, 4va sector journalled in said feci-,ing a spreading of said hoeing devices in accordance with the movement of said sector.

3. Agricultural apparatus comprising a mobile frame structure, a pair of longitudinally extending beams swivelly connected at one end with said frame structure, a multiplicity of hoeing devices supported by the remote ends of said beams, a pair of spreader arms pivoted to said frame structure and depending downwardly toward said beams, vertically extending plates projecting from said beams in overlapping relation with the depending ends of said spreader arms, spring means for yieldably maintaining said beams in a predetermined minimum spacial relation, means located between said spreader arms and slidably engaging said plates for imparting movement to said plates and said spreader arms and means for angularly moving said last mentioned means for applying lateral pressure against said vertically extending plates and transversely displacing said plates and the beams and the hoeing devices associated therewith to a predetermined maximum spacial relation for effecting a cultivating operation around plants in a crop row.

4. Agricultural apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which the depending ends of said spreader arms carry rollers which roll in contacting relation with the vertically extending plates carried by said beams as the hceing devices move over irregular terrain, for effecting a spreading and retracting operation of said hoeing devices, irrespective cf the irregularity of the terrain over which the hoeing devices operate.

5. Agricultural apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for angularly moving the means for imparting movement to said spreader arms includes an angularly movable bar connected at opposite ends with a pair of arcuate shaped links which connect with said spreader arms and in which movement is imparted to said bar from a power driven unit.

6. Agricultural apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which the remote ends of said beams have a step by step formation whereby the beams are transversely separated in increasing Widths for supporting the hoeing devices in echelon arrangement for effecting cultivation around the plants in a crop row in a multiplicity of differently spaced paths.

'7. Agricultural apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which said beams are vertically adjustable with respect to said frame structure for controlling the depth of penetration of said hoeing devices in the earth with respect to the plants of a crop row, the overlapping relation of said spreader arms and the vertically extending plates being such that such spreader arms remain between said plates throughout the range of the versely displaceable on each side of the plants in a crop row.

9. Agricultural apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including means for initially setting the minimum and maximum spread to which said spreader arms may be displaced.

10. Agricultural apparatus comprising in combination with the frame of a mobile unit, a drive shaft terminating in a rotary driven wheel, a sector, a control shaft carrying said sector, means for journalling the control shaft of said sector whereby said sector is disposed in a position coplanar with said wheel for displacement toward and away from said wheel, manual means for shifting said sector into engagement with the periphery of said wheel for imparting angular movement to said sector, a pair of longitudinally extending beams pivotally mounted at one end with respect to said frame and carrying hoeing devices on the remote ends thereof, a pair of spreader arms pivoted on said frame and depending downwardly therefrom in positions between said longitudinally extending beams, means interconnecting said spreader arms and said control shaft and controlled by said sector whereby said spreader arms impart transverse movement to said beams for spreading said beams, and spring means for restoring said beams upon discontinuance of driving forces imparted by said sector.

11. Agricultural apparatus comprising in combination with a mobile chassis, a frame structure, a rotatable driven wheel journalled on said chassis, a sector, a control shaft carrying said sector, lever means for manually displacing said sector into and out of the path of said driven Wheel whereby said driven wheel may impart movement to said sector, a pair of longitudinally extending beams swivelly supported with respect to said frame structure, hoeing devices carried by said beams, spreader arms pivoted on said frame and depending downwardly therefrom in positions between said beams and means interlinking said spreader arms and said control shaft and controlled by said sector whereby said spreader arms displace said beams and correspondingly move said hoeing devices, and latching means associated with said sector for maintaining said sector in predetermined relation to said driven wheel.

12. Agricultural apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said latching means includes a pawl and detent mechanism in which the position of said pawl is controlled by the movement of said sector and in which the position of said detent is controlled by the movement of said lever means for controlling the movement imparted to said beams.

JOHN D. SAUBER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,107,854 Sturgiss Aug. 18, 1914 2,521,549 Smith Sept. 5, 1950 

